I’m a salesperson. Selling is important to me. My entire career has been spent in sales. And so, it really bothers me when some folk don’t take selling seriously. Over the course of two years, I had the opportunity to work on the other side of the desk – as a buyer. And here’s some of the stuff that had me wanting to reach across the desk and choke some sense into some of the salespeople calling on me.
Arriving Late for Your Selling Appointment
That really bothered me. My time as a buyer was valuable. I usually had back-to-back appointments, and so, when someone arrived late, it didn’t sit well. I tried to be as understanding as possible. Yet, more often than not, those that arrived late didn’t bother to call. They just showed up. Late.
I understand. Things happen – traffic, weather, etc., but you know these things happen. If you are flying in and you take a same day flight, and find that it is delayed, don’t get indignant with me because you lose your appointment because you didn’t arrive on time. Don’t blame the airline, blame yourself for not arriving the day before. If traffic holds you up – again, your fault. If weather is the culprit, guess what? Your fault. All these things can be planned around by leaving early. If you’re flying in – fly in the day before. If you are driving in from out of town, arrive a good two hours before your appointment and hang out at a local coffee shop. All of them have free WIFI. And if you are coming across town, make sure you plan for traffic jams and other delaying factors.
And if something happens and you have no choice but to arrive late, for goodness sakes, call! Don’t show up late and expect your buyer to understand and fit you in.
Dressing Inappropriately
Sneakers, flip-flops, sandals, yes, I’ve seen it all. Jeans, torn jeans, skinny jeans – yes, those too. T-shirts, sockless, untucked shirts, yep, they came in those! Sunglasses, baseball caps, and shorts. Absolutely. They came dressed all sorts of ways!
Yes, times have changed. Even the most old-fashioned of us know that. And so, the days when salespeople walked in the door with suits and ties are mostly behind us. But, though most companies have went with a more lax dress style at their offices, that doesn’t excuse you, as the salesperson, for dressing down. If you want to dress corporate casually for an appointment, make sure that is the dress code of the office you are visiting. And even if it is, make sure you cleared it with your buyer or someone at the office. Don’t just assume it’s okay for you to show up in chinos and a golf shirt.
Sneakers and jeans are never, ever appropriate, unless your buyer demands you wear them. Also, take time to clean or shine your shoes. Dress professionally for your appointment.
Finishing My Sentence/Cutting Me Off/Not Letting Me Talk
I knew what my needs were. I knew my category and my overall business. I had my own P&L goals. I didn’t need someone coming in and telling me what I needed, without knowing my business. And those salespeople that finished my sentence, because they thought they knew what I was going to say, I wanted to throw out of my office. And when I was cut off, mid-sentence, I politely asked them to leave.
Let your buyer talk. Listen to them. Learn from them. It will make you a better salesperson. A salesperson should follow the 80/20 rule when presenting – listen 80 percent of the time and talk 20 percent or less (less is always better!). Ask questions and then let your buyer answer.
Failure to Grasp Basic Math When Selling
We’re not talking calculus or trigonometry here. Yes, there were those that called on me with a lack of knowledge behind basic percentages and a total misunderstanding of retail math. Markup is not the same as Margin, I would tell them, and yet, they would continue on their presentation as though it were. I want to make 55% so tell me what I should price your product at? Blank stares. If I take a full truck load of this product, what to you estimate my ROI? (That one really threw them).
When I was in school, we called it Business Math. It was actually the easiest math to understand and master. If you can’t work with percentages, if you don’t know how to derive retails, or profit margins, then get a primer before calling on your customer. And for goodness sakes, buy a calculator or use the calculator app on your phone. Become expert with it.
Look, selling is not easy. It can be very difficult putting all the pieces together. So, don’t take the chance to derail your proposition because you arrive late, dress like you’re on a vacation, can’t keep your mouth closed, or have an inability to add to numbers together.
Buyers can be notoriously fickle folk. But despite their ways, idiosyncrasies and ever-changing views and needs, their time remains valuable. They work very hard, put in long days and spent countless hours poring over spreadsheets, presentations, deals and all sorts of data. So, treat the time you have with them as a privilege. Prepare, prepare and prepare some more for your meetings. Don’t leave those things you can control to chance. Take the opportunity seriously and you will be greatly rewarded.
